Psalm 42

1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”

4When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

6O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

9I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
-Psalm 42

There is much to be said regarding this Psalm. It has, at many times in my life, served as comfort for me. In those times I had resonated so much with what this Psalm speaks of that I couldn't help but recognize how many others resonate the same way. I struggled for many years with depression and went about in what felt like wandering unsure of why I was downcast. I knew I wanted more of the Lord. I knew that I had worshipped Him in gladness before, but in those moments I was simply down trodden with no understanding of why.

5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

This is the first statement that really caught my attention in that time. Not only did it resonate with me in what I was currently going through but it also gave me direction. As the sons of Korah wrote this there is a self-dialogue going on. The instruction is to hope in God knowing that praise will come forward yet again.knowing His help is coming forth. I cannot begin to emphasize how life changing that very fact was for me. Hope in God. When we have our hope set upon Him, our eyes are set upon Him. The mockery of those around us, the feelings that seem to betray us, and the desperation we have all begin to fade when our eyes are truly set upon the Lord.

If you may be going through a similar struggle, I challenge you to be honest with yourself and ask what your hope is set in. Are you just hoping to feel better for the sake of feeling better? Are you hoping distracting yourself will help? Is your hope set upon your own efforts of self improvement? Or is your hope set on the Lord? Be honest with yourself and seek to set your hope in the Lord. You will yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.